SAZ Sports & Fashion
7
BUSINESS
„The Performance
Days scout trends
and set trends“
Marco Weichert
About the fair
Performace Days, launched in 2008, is the
first event created especially for functional
fabrics for sports and work clothing. The
aim of the semi-annual trade fair is to give
leading and innovative textile manufactur-
ers, suppliers and service providers from all
around the world the opportunity to pre-
sent their functional fabrics, membranes
plus treatments, laminates, paddings, fin-
ishes, and accessories such as yarns, tapes,
prints, buttons and zippers.
In the Peformance Forum, the visitor re-
ceives an inspiring and well-grounded
overview of the new materials, trends, and
innovations of the exhibitors. The Perfor-
mance Award and the Eco Performance
Award are also presented here.
Qualified guest speakers present special
topics and their collaborative ventures to
complete the range of information provid-
ed at the fair, additional visitors can join
several workshops and hotspot tours to see
the highlights of the exhibitors.
tainly must also be tested for several parame
ters such as durability, abrasion resistance,
lightfastness, etc., that also takes its time.
Does that mean the fabric manufacturers wait for
the impulse by the fair?
Weichert:
Of course not only. Certainly, the
manufacturers often ask us months before an
nouncement of our new focus topics. But our in
put only represents an impulse from the points
mentioned at the outset. In addition to this, the
brands’ demand and definition of require
ments are of course important, as well as the
further development of the weavers’ and knit
ters’ proprietary fabrics. In the best case, they
focus on what they are good at, what their USP
is. They ideally specialize, so that also the
brands know: Company A is my specialist for
fleece, company B for laminates. Unfortunate
ly there are not always good product strategies;
sometimes the offers of the mills resemble a
general merchandise store.
It seems that many different impulses influence
newdevelopments of functional fabrics. But now
to crucial question: What does it need so that
these can also compete in the market and be
bought?
Weichert:
Good question! The possibilities for
development are limited in any case. The mag
ic word is ‘commercial innovation’. When a gar
ment brand looks for innovations, but only
wants to pay 10%more than for the preceding
fabric, then the supplier has to stick to it. In
the end, it is essential whether the consumer
is willing to pay the price of the garment, so
the price of the fabric must also fit into the
overall concept.
What are the alternatives? The coll
ections should always look new. Is
the supplier of fabrics therefore
not required to continuously deli
ver innovations?
Weichert:
Of course he is. Yet, the
innovations do not always need
to address the latest functional
fibers. Also minor impulses can
be innovative, for instance a new
structure combined with a differ
ent color. Sometimes, on the oth
er hand, developments are put to
market without any reference to
customers or trends and as a con
sequence those are not accepted.
How do garment producers and fa
bric manufacturers meet? Is it the
fair?
Weichert:
In the best case they meet on the
Performance Days with its Performance Forum
highlighting the trends in fabrics, accessories
as color chart as well as special lectures, work
shops but also hotspot tours. In my opinion,
this is the true quality we deliver as organizers
of the fair. Already at an early stage we show the
best fabrics and their potential, especially at a
time when the garment manufacturers have
not yet specified requirements and product
managers can still be inspired. Here, the fair
represents the ideal platform for information.
But of course, the garment manufacturer
knows what to look for and where. And should
it happen that he does not know, the fair’s web
site offers 24/7 filtering of suitable products
and manufacturers. At the same time, the
agents of the fabric mills seek contact with the
garment manufacturers and brands as early as
possible in order to discuss together the direc
tion they might head to. Afterwards, the cus
tomers’ wishes, the trends of the trade fairs
and the new developments of the fabric manu
facturers are then followed by the sourcing and
also the selection of materials processed in the
new collections.
This sounds very exciting and complex. What do
you think are the most important trends that will
dominate the coming buying season?
Weichert:
I am convinced that sustainability is
amust. Recycled fabrics, recyclable fabrics, fab
rics produced from biological sources or from
natural, thus renewable raw materials. And -
brand new - fabrics that are biodegradable, in
cluding compostable fabrics. When we think of
optical trends a lively structure will be impor
tant. In addition, the pleasant, natural and soft
handfeel and the wearing comfort in general.
Intelligent materials, that is fibers that provide
cool or warm climate comfort through addi
tives and special cross-sections. And, of course,
water-repellent equipment without PFC. All in
all, you can say: There are many new micro-
trends, there is a lot of diversification, but as al
ways they need to fit the price range.
●
Interview: Ulrike Arlt
New developments in woven fabrics are very complex.
Foto: Shutterstock / gyn9037
